Smokeless ashtray



April 27, 194s. R. c. WEDDLE 2,440,387

SMOKELESS ASHTRAY Filed Nov. 1, 1946 Patented Apr. 27, 1948 SMOKEIESS ASHTRAY" 'f Richard CfWeddle; Terre Haute,.lnd.,assignor :to` Columbian .'.Enameling `It StampingiCo.; Inc.,` Terre Haute; Ind.,` a corporation of Indiana ./.llpplication November 1, 1946,' Serial No. `707,274

4 Claims.

This invention relates to smokeless ash trays, and more particularly toreceptacles wherein objectssucli as ashes, matches, cigarettes `and cigars may be deposited and wherein the smoke and odor from such objects are confined within the ash tray and thus do not contaminate the surrounding atmosphere.

An object of the invention is to provide -an ash tray of metal or other equivalent material which will eliminate smoke and objectionable smoke odors even though a large number oi lighted cigarettes and cigars are deposited therein, and this is so even though the ash tray containing such a deposit is allowed to remain unemptied for an extended period of time.

Another object is to eliminate the hazard of re from lighted cigarettes or cigars by providing a safe, closed receptacle from which burning objects cannot easily be accidentally expelled, even though the receptacle should be overturned, dropped, or subjected to strong air currents.

Another object is to provide an ash tray which extinguishes lighted-cigarettes or cigars promptly without the need for tamping, mashing, or otherwise manually or mechanically destroying or disturbing the lighted .portion thereof.

Still another object is to provide a smokeless ash tray free of all mechanical closures, lids, trap-doors and other mechanisms which are usually activated by springs, weights and levers, all of which are subject to mechanical failure after wear.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as the description proceeds, reference being had to the accompanying drawing wherein one form of the invention is shown. It is to be understood that the description and drawing are illustrative only, and are not to be taken as limiting the invention except insofar as it is limited in the claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top View of one embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line 2 2 of Fig. 1;

Referring now to the drawing, the ash tray comprises a body portion 5 having side walls 5 of cylindrical or other suitable shape and integral bottom l. The central portion 8 of bottom l' is stamped in the form of a cone, as shown in Fig. 2, with the cone axis lying along the axes of the body portion 5. Conical portion 3 deects or directs deposited objects away from the lower center of body .portion 5. Side walls 6 of body portion 5 are flanged inwardly somewhat at the receptacle open end as shown at 9. This reduced 2infalignment-with the circular opening rlube illl 2 end receives the presently to be described detachable cover-I0.

The cover I0 has a depending annular flange i3 adapted to snugly engage the reduced end 9 of the body portion. The end of flange I3 may be turnedback onv itself to provide annular bead Ill'ivhich is manually gripped to facilitate disengagement of the cover. At spaced points on the face of cover I 0 are located pairs of spaced par- -allelribs I 5 adapted to position lighted cigarettes or cigars when not held by the smoker.

The central portion Il of the cover is depressed in the vform` of an inverted cone, this portion being in substantial alignment with and substantially -thlsame size as portion il in bottom l.

The -portion- Il 'terminates short of a cone tip thus to provide a circular opening of substantial size in 'the' cover. A short cylindrical tube IS is associated-with and' depends from the portion Il terminates somewhatabove portion 8 of the bottom.` It will beseen that-smokers waste depositedrinethe central-portion II- of the cover-is directed through the-opening and tube `I8 to the conical portion 8 of bottom 'I. The portion 8 directs the waste away from the ycenter of the body portion and toward the sidewalls S.

A plurality of vertically disposed ns 20 are carried in radially spaced relationship by cylindrical tube I8. Fins 20 are of substantial size and extend from tube I8 substantially across the radius of body portion 5. They may extend somewhat above and below the axial length of tube I8 as shown. The fins provide cooling surfaces, and thus they should be as large as can be conveniently accommodated within the receptacle. Also, the fins are attached to tube i8 substantially throughout the length of the tube so as to provide satisfactory heat transfer characteristics between the fins and the tube.

When the ash tray is used, one or more lighted cigarettes, cigars, or matches are dropped through the circular opening in cover I0. The objects strike conical portion 8 and are deflected outwardly toward the side walls 6 where they come to rest below the ns 2U. Due to the heat generated by the burning objects, the products of combustion (smoke) will rst rise. These products, as they rise, strike the interior surfaces of cover I0 and more particularly the extensive surfaces of the cooling ns 26. The products are thereby cooled and, as their density becomes greater than that of air, they tend to fall within the receptacle. When the falling products of combustion reach the bottom of the ash tray,

they smother and snuff out the burning objects due to the lack of oxygen necessary to continue combustion. It has been found that the greater the quantity of burning objects deposited in the ash tray, the more prompt is the smothering action due to a more complete exhaustion of the oxygen present.

From the above description it is thought that the construction and advantages of this invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. Various changes and modications may be made without departing from the spirit or losing the advantages of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A smokeless ash tray comprising a body portion having side walls and a bottom, means in the lower center of said body portion for directing burning objects towards said side walls, a cover for said body portion having a central opening therein, a tube associated with said cover surrounding said central opening and extending into said body portion to a point spaced above said directing means, and a plurality of spaced vertical iins carried by said tube and terminating short of said walls, said ns having a substantial vertical dimension whereby to present substantial areas adapted to cool rising products of combustion which thereafter fall to said bottom to extinguish burning objects.

2. A smokeless ash tray comprising a receptacle having side Walls, means in the lower center of said receptacle for directing burning objects toward the walls thereof, a detachable cover for said receptacle, said cover having a central opening therein, a tube depending from said-cover in alignment with said opening and terminating short of said directing means, and cooling members spaced about and carried by said tube, said cooling members lying in vertical planes and eX- tending substantially from said tube to the receptacle walls whereby to present substantial cooling surfaces to the products of combustion emited by burning objects deposited within the receptacle.

3. A smokeless ash tray comprising a receptacle having side walls and a bottom, means in the lower center of said receptacle for directing burning objects toward said walls, a detachable cover for said receptacle, said cover having a central opening therein, a tube depending from said cover in alignment with said opening and terminating short of said directing means, and cooling members spaced about and carried by said tube, the

junction between a cooling member and said tube extending substantially the length of said tube, said cooling members lying in vertical planes and extending radially from said tube to points short of the receptacle walls whereby to present substantial cooling surfaces to the products of combustion emitted by burning objects deposited within' the receptacle.

4. A smokeless ash tray comprising a receptacle having side walls and a bottom, means in the lower center of said receptacle for directing burning objects toward said walls, a cover for said receptacle, said cover having a central opening therein, a tube depending from said cover in alignment with said opening and terminating short of said directing means, and a plurality of cooling members spaced about and carried by said tube, said cooling members each comprising a fin having substantial surface area and extending from the said tube toward said walls, whereby to present substantial cooling surfaces to the products of combustion emitted by burning objects deposited within the receptacle.

RICHARD C. WEDDLE.

REFERENCES CTED The following references are oi record in the file of this patent:

FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 331,249 Great Britain Mar. 25, 1929 

